Happy Birthday Nelson Mandela (1918 - 2013)

Today is Mandela Day. On this date in 1918 Nelson Mandela was born. I think that Mr. Mandela has been rewarded with long-life to compensate for the remarkable sacrifice that he made for his people.

Nelson Mandela is the South African leader who sparked a series of events that led to the end of apartheid. He also served as the first Black president of South Africa and won the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize.

Born in Umtata, South Africa, in what is now Eastern Cape Province, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was the son of a Xhosa-speaking Thembu chief. He attended the University of Fort Hare in Alice where he became involved in the political struggle against the racial discrimination practiced in South Africa. He was expelled in 1940 for participating in a student demonstration. After moving to Johannesburg, he completed his course work by correspondence through the University of South Africa and received a bachelor’s degree in 1942. Mandela then studied law at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

He became increasingly involved with the African National Congress (ANC), a multiracial nationalist movement which sought to bring about democratic political change in South Africa. Mandela helped establish the ANC’s Youth League in 1944 and became its president in 1951. The National Party (NP) came to power in South Africa in 1948 on a political platform of white supremacy. The official policy of apartheid, or forced segregation of the races, began to be implemented under NP rule. In 1952, the ANC staged a campaign known as the Defiance Campaign, when protesters across the country refused to obey apartheid laws. That same year Mandela became one of the ANC’s four deputy presidents.

In 1952, he and his friend Oliver Tambo were the first Blacks to open a law practice in South Africa. In the face of government harassment and with the prospect of the ANC being officially banned, Mandela and others devised a plan. Called the "M" plan after Mandela, it organized the ANC into small units of people who could then encourage grassroots participation in anti-apartheid struggles.

By the late 1950s, Mandela, with Oliver Tambo and others, moved the ANC in a more militant direction against the increasingly discriminatory policies of the government. He was charged with treason in 1956 because of the ANC’s increased activity, particularly in the Defiance Campaign, but he was acquitted after a five-year trial. In 1957, Mandela divorced his first wife, Evelyn Mase; in 1958, he married Nkosikazi Nomzamo Madikizela, a social worker, who became known as Winnie Mandela. In March 1960, the ANC and its rival, the Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC), called for a nationwide demonstration against South Africa’s pass laws, which controlled the movement and employment of Blacks and forced them to carry identity papers.

When police massacred 69 Blacks demonstrating in Sharpeville, both the ANC and the PAC were banned. After Sharpeville, the ANC abandoned the strategy of nonviolence, which until that time had been an important part of its philosophy. Mandela helped to establish the ANC’s military wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation), in December 1961. He was named its commander-in-chief and went to Algeria for military training.

Back in South Africa, he was arrested in August 1962 and sentenced to prison for incitement and for leaving the country illegally. In response to both international and domestic pressure, the South African government, under the leadership of President F. W. de Klerk, lifted the ban against the ANC and released Mandela in February 1990 after 28 years in prison.



Soon after his release from prison he became estranged from Winnie Mandela, who had played a key leadership role in the anti apartheid movement during his incarceration. Although Winnie had won international recognition for her defiance of the government, immediately before Mandela’s release she had come into conflict with the ANC over a controversial kidnapping and murder trial that involved her young bodyguards. The Mandelas were divorced in 1996. Mandela, who enjoyed enormous popularity, assumed the leadership of the ANC and led negotiations with the government for an end to apartheid. While white South Africans considered sharing power a big step, Black South Africans wanted nothing less than a complete transfer of power. Mandela played a crucial role in resolving differences. For their efforts, he and de Klerk were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. The following year South Africa held its first multiracial elections, and Mandela became president. Mandela sought to calm the fears of white South Africans and of potential international investors by trying to balance plans for reconstruction and development with financial caution. His Reconstruction and Development Plan allotted large amounts of money to the creation of jobs and housing and to the development of basic health care. In December 1996, Mandela signed into law a new South African constitution. The constitution established a federal system with a strong central government based on majority rule, and it contained guarantees of the rights of minorities and of freedom of expression. Mandela became the oldest elected President of South Africa when he took office at the age of 77 in 1994. He retired in 1999, to be succeeded by Thabo Mbeki as party leader of the ANC. After his retirement as President, Mandela went on to become an advocate for a variety of social and human rights organizations. He has expressed his support for the international Make Poverty History movement of which the ONE Campaign is a part. Since his retirement, one of Mandela's primary commitments has been to the fight against AIDS. Mandela's 90th birthday was marked across the country on July 18, 2008, with the main celebrations held at his home town of Qunu. A concert in his honor was also held in Hyde Park, London. In a speech to mark his birthday, Mandela called for the rich people to help poor people across the world.   My Mandela Memory: Nelson Mandela went on a worldwide tour after his release from prison in 1990. Stevie Wonder joined him on the tour when it came to the United States. I was living in Detroit when the Mandela tour came to Tigers Stadium. I recall the sense of pride and awe that I felt in realizing that this stoic African sacrificed his youth during 28-years in prison. He stood like a rock in his belief. All of us should aspire to have Mandela's strength of character. What 'Mandela Memory' can you share with us?

Wordless Wednesday: Underwater Sculpture in Grenada Remembers African Holocaust

SOURCE: - 'Alkebulan' Pinterest Board

President Obama to United Nations: 'Peace is Hard, But We Know That It Is Possible'

President Obama spoke to the United Nations General Assembly yesterday (transcript / video). He used his speech to talk about the numerous challenges that stand in the way of a lasting peace. He advocated for peace defined by more than the absence of war, saying: “a lasting peace -- for nations and for individuals -- depends on a sense of justice and opportunity, of dignity and freedom.”

What is your take on the President's speech to the United Nations?

GOP Congressman Cantor Supports Foreign Leader Against President Obama

I guess it is inevitable that the Republican Party leadership will begin to get a swollen sense of ego. They will begin to demonstrate a feeling of entitlement. They will start to think that they are "all that and a bag of chips".

That is all I can conclude as I heard about the promise that Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) made to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu last week. Cantor wanted Netanyahu to know that the GOP had his back. Cantor met with Netanyahu -- the same day when the actual U.S. Secretary of State met with Netanyahu -- and vowed that he and his GOP colleagues would protect and defend Israeli interests against his own Government. According to a statement proudly issued by Cantor's own office:

"Eric stressed that the new Republican majority will serve as a check on the Administration and what has been, up until this point, one party rule in Washington," the readout continued. "He made clear that the Republican majority understands the special relationship between Israel and the United States, and that the security of each nation is reliant upon the other."

Even Jewish power brokers were shocked at Cantor's statement of loyalty to Netanyahu. Jewish Telegraphic Agency's bureau chief in Washington, Ron Kampeas, declared that Cantor's statement was "extraordinary." He wrote that he could not "remember an opposition leader telling a foreign leader, in a personal meeting, that he would side, as a policy, with that leader against the President."


I suspect that we will hear Cantor backtrack on his pledge to Netanyahu soon. It is one thing to be ego-driven in private. It's another thing when you ego-driven statements go public.

Haiti Earthquake: Will America Care Next Week?

Haiti has been struggling for hundreds of years to overcome colonial domination, dictatorial leadership, poverty and the impact of hunger.

Things just got worse this week with the massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake. The lack of infrastructure, disaster preparedness and acute poverty makes a bad situation even worse. Homes, schools, churches have been destroyed. Villagers all over America wait, pray and hope for the safety of the people of Haiti. That nation's long struggle against poverty is now exacerbated, its needs now magnified, and the vulnerability of the Haitian people more greatly exposed.

Haiti is the poorest, least developed country in the Western Hemisphere, and the majority of Haitians live in poverty. The sheer scale of poverty in the country means that the government has limited capacity to meet even the simplest needs of its people, let alone address a disaster of this magnitude. In addition to creating a very real and immediate humanitarian tragedy, this earthquake and the struggle to navigate its aftermath will be an enormous setback to the hard-won gains that Haiti has achieved in recent years in securing a more stable environment and fighting poverty.

I suspect that America and the other nations of the world will respond well in the coming days and weeks. It is relatively simple to send in bottled water and to rush to find people ... living and dead ... in the tumbled buildings.

I don't have personal contact with many people of Haitian descent in person or otherwise. However, Haitian history tells us the Haitian people are resilient and determined to better their lives. I am confident that with the help of strong partners around the world, Haiti will rise from its rubble and Haitians will live their motto: L’union fait la force (Unity is strength).




I wonder if the collective goodwill on a national and international basis continues after the initial compassion being displayed right now?

Consider this an open thread about the earthquake in Haiti. Please share your prayers, thoughts or observations.

Am I Not Human? Seeking Justice After Gaza Conflict

The world's leaders have gathered at the United Nations for a meeting of the Human Rights Council. The Council will be presented with the findings and recommendations from the UN-mandated, fact-finding mission led by the highly-regarded judge Richard Goldstone, who investigated the human rights violations committed in Gaza and southern Israel last December and January.

The Goldstone Report, which is consistent with the findings of Amnesty International, concludes that both the Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups committed grave violations of international law including war crimes and, possibly, crimes against humanity. Both Israel and Hamas have, to date, failed to carry out credible investigations and to prosecute those responsible. Innocent civilians caught up in this conflict deserve to know the truth and obtain justice. Action is needed now.

If you agree, please send a message to Secretary Hillary Clinton and US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice today.

Villagers, no one should be above international law. For long-term security and peace in the region, all those responsible for violations of human rights must be held accountable.


Roots of Humanity feels that each of us can fight against human rights abuses in the world. We simply need to do something. Protest. Meditate. Pray. In the case of bloggers ... we want you to blog on the 27th of each month. Just share information on behalf of our human siblings in all suffering areas who are either barred from communication by their governments, or lacking in technology to ask: Am I Not Human?

Next Stop on Obama World Tour: 5th Summit of the Americas

President Obama continues to reach out to others as part of his effort to change the way that America is viewed around the world. He traveled to Turkey and various parts of England last week to meet with world leaders and talk to the people he visited about the vision for America that he seeks to achieve during his presidency.

This week Obama takes his message to Latin America as he visits Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago for the Fifth Summit of the Americas. I imagine that he will listen to our Latin American neighbors in Central and South America ... much as he did earlier this month at the G-20 Summit. Issues of immigration and our Cuba policy are sure to be front and center. I'll be curious to see how Obama and the Venezuelan dictator Chavez get along during the meetings.

Obama didn't speak of his upcoming meetings directly in this week's presidential message. However, he did talk about the importance of using this past weekend's holy days ... Easter and Passover ... to reflect on how the world could be if we can learn to get along with one another. Take a moment to listen to what he had to say:




What are your thoughts about Obama's recent foreign affairs effort? What would you like to see happen when he meets with Latin American leaders later this week?

Winnie Mandela Seeks Political Comeback

The wife of a former president seeks higher office ... no, not Hillary Clinton ... this time it is Nelson Mandela's former wife, Winnie. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela is running for parliament in South Africa as a candidate for the African National Congress (ANC). [SOURCE]

She needs to deal with a minor legal problem first.
According to South Africa's constitution, anyone "sentenced to more than 12 months imprisonment without the option of a fine" is disqualified from parliament until "five years after the sentence has been completed".

After an appeal in July 2004, Ms Madikizela-Mandela received a three-and-a-half year sentence for fraud - which was suspended for five years.

The Democratic Alliance and Freedom Front Plus parties lodged formal objections to Ms Madikizela-Mandela's nomination, arguing that the sentence was still active.

But in a statement, the electoral commission said: "The candidate is not disqualified from standing as a candidate in the election of 22 April 2009. The objection is accordingly dismissed."

How many villagers remember what television show featured a newborn baby named after Winnie Mandela? [Answer]

Gordon Brown Invites African Union to G20 Summit

A number of villagers were part of the 51,000 ONE members that signed an online petition to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, letting him know that people around the world think it is important that the world's poorest countries have a say in reshaping the global financial system.

He listened.

The British Government extended an invitation to African Union leaders to send a representative to the G20 Summit.

This is really good news at a challenging time. While an invitation to a meeting doesn't have the immediate impact of funding development programs or cancelling debt, it is a vital step. The whole world is suffering because of the economic crisis, but the world's poorest people are the hardest hit. As the new international finance rules and structures start to take shape, it is critical that their voices are heard.

Tell Gordon Brown to Include Africa in G20 Summit

ONE continues to ask our leaders to do more to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty. ONE believes that allocating more of the U.S. budget toward providing basic needs like health, education, clean water and food would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the world's poorest countries.

This spring, leaders from 20 of the world's largest economies will come together for the G20 summit in the United Kingdom. They'll be discussing the global financial system, and working on setting a course for the world to get out of the financial crisis. It is crucial that a representative from the African Union be present at those meeting to represent many of the world's poorest nations, and give voice to their concerns.

As host of the upcoming G20 summit, Prime Minister Gordon Brown can invite a representative of the African Union to participate.

I encourage all villagers interested in Africa having a greater voice in these issues to sign the online petition and share your input directly with Prime Minister Gordon Brown!

Global President

He's been in office for a week. How do you think the rest of the world is seeing him now?

(Th)ink by Keith Knight: Nike Goes Global

(Th)ink is an editorial cartoon written and drawn by cartoonist Keith Knight (the K Chronicles).

Obama Speech in Berlin, 'A World That Stands as One'

"A World That Stands as One"
July 24th, 2008
Berlin, Germany

Thank you to the citizens of Berlin and to the people of Germany. Let me thank Chancellor Merkel and Foreign Minister Steinmeier for welcoming me earlier today. Thank you Mayor Wowereit, the Berlin Senate, the police, and most of all thank you for this welcome.

I come to Berlin as so many of my countrymen have come before. Tonight, I speak to you not as a candidate for President, but as a citizen - a proud citizen of the United States, and a fellow citizen of the world.

I know that I don't look like the Americans who've previously spoken in this great city. The journey that led me here is improbable. My mother was born in the heartland of America, but my father grew up herding goats in Kenya. His father - my grandfather - was a cook, a domestic servant to the British.

At the height of the Cold War, my father decided, like so many others in the forgotten corners of the world, that his yearning - his dream - required the freedom and opportunity promised by the West. And so he wrote letter after letter to universities all across America until somebody, somewhere answered his prayer for a better life.

That is why I'm here. And you are here because you too know that yearning. This city, of all cities, knows the dream of freedom. And you know that the only reason we stand here tonight is because men and women from both of our nations came together to work, and struggle, and sacrifice for that better life.

Ours is a partnership that truly began sixty years ago this summer, on the day when the first American plane touched down at Templehof.

On that day, much of this continent still lay in ruin. The rubble of this city had yet to be built into a wall. The Soviet shadow had swept across Eastern Europe, while in the West, America, Britain, and France took stock of their losses, and pondered how the world might be remade.

This is where the two sides met. And on the twenty-fourth of June, 1948, the Communists chose to blockade the western part of the city. They cut off food and supplies to more than two million Germans in an effort to extinguish the last flame of freedom in Berlin.

The size of our forces was no match for the much larger Soviet Army. And yet retreat would have allowed Communism to march across Europe. Where the last war had ended, another World War could have easily begun. All that stood in the way was Berlin.

And that's when the airlift began - when the largest and most unlikely rescue in history brought food and hope to the people of this city.

The odds were stacked against success. In the winter, a heavy fog filled the sky above, and many planes were forced to turn back without dropping off the needed supplies. The streets where we stand were filled with hungry families who had no comfort from the cold.

But in the darkest hours, the people of Berlin kept the flame of hope burning. The people of Berlin refused to give up. And on one fall day, hundreds of thousands of Berliners came here, to the Tiergarten, and heard the city's mayor implore the world not to give up on freedom. "There is only one possibility," he said. "For us to stand together united until this battle is won...The people of Berlin have spoken. We have done our duty, and we will keep on doing our duty. People of the world: now do your duty...People of the world, look at Berlin!"
People of the world - look at Berlin!

Look at Berlin, where Germans and Americans learned to work together and trust each other less than three years after facing each other on the field of battle.

Look at Berlin, where the determination of a people met the generosity of the Marshall Plan and created a German miracle; where a victory over tyranny gave rise to NATO, the greatest alliance ever formed to defend our common security.

Look at Berlin, where the bullet holes in the buildings and the somber stones and pillars near the Brandenburg Gate insist that we never forget our common humanity.

People of the world - look at Berlin, where a wall came down, a continent came together, and history proved that there is no challenge too great for a world that stands as one.

Sixty years after the airlift, we are called upon again. History has led us to a new crossroad, with new promise and new peril. When you, the German people, tore down that wall - a wall that divided East and West; freedom and tyranny; fear and hope - walls came tumbling down around the world. From Kiev to Cape Town, prison camps were closed, and the doors of democracy were opened. Markets opened too, and the spread of information and technology reduced barriers to opportunity and prosperity. While the 20th century taught us that we share a common destiny, the 21st has revealed a world more intertwined than at any time in human history.

The fall of the Berlin Wall brought new hope. But that very closeness has given rise to new dangers - dangers that cannot be contained within the borders of a country or by the distance of an ocean.

The terrorists of September 11th plotted in Hamburg and trained in Kandahar and Karachi before killing thousands from all over the globe on American soil.

As we speak, cars in Boston and factories in Beijing are melting the ice caps in the Arctic, shrinking coastlines in the Atlantic, and bringing drought to farms from Kansas to Kenya.
Poorly secured nuclear material in the former Soviet Union, or secrets from a scientist in Pakistan could help build a bomb that detonates in Paris. The poppies in Afghanistan become the heroin in Berlin. The poverty and violence in Somalia breeds the terror of tomorrow. The genocide in Darfur shames the conscience of us all.

In this new world, such dangerous currents have swept along faster than our efforts to contain them. That is why we cannot afford to be divided. No one nation, no matter how large or powerful, can defeat such challenges alone. None of us can deny these threats, or escape responsibility in meeting them. Yet, in the absence of Soviet tanks and a terrible wall, it has become easy to forget this truth. And if we're honest with each other, we know that sometimes, on both sides of the Atlantic, we have drifted apart, and forgotten our shared destiny.

In Europe, the view that America is part of what has gone wrong in our world, rather than a force to help make it right, has become all too common. In America, there are voices that deride and deny the importance of Europe's role in our security and our future. Both views miss the truth - that Europeans today are bearing new burdens and taking more responsibility in critical parts of the world; and that just as American bases built in the last century still help to defend the security of this continent, so does our country still sacrifice greatly for freedom around the globe.

Yes, there have been differences between America and Europe. No doubt, there will be differences in the future. But the burdens of global citizenship continue to bind us together. A change of leadership in Washington will not lift this burden. In this new century, Americans and Europeans alike will be required to do more - not less. Partnership and cooperation among nations is not a choice; it is the one way, the only way, to protect our common security and advance our common humanity.

That is why the greatest danger of all is to allow new walls to divide us from one another.
The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand. The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes; natives and immigrants; Christian and Muslim and Jew cannot stand. These now are the walls we must tear down.

We know they have fallen before. After centuries of strife, the people of Europe have formed a Union of promise and prosperity. Here, at the base of a column built to mark victory in war, we meet in the center of a Europe at peace. Not only have walls come down in Berlin, but they have come down in Belfast, where Protestant and Catholic found a way to live together; in the Balkans, where our Atlantic alliance ended wars and brought savage war criminals to justice; and in South Africa, where the struggle of a courageous people defeated apartheid.

So history reminds us that walls can be torn down. But the task is never easy. True partnership and true progress requires constant work and sustained sacrifice. They require sharing the burdens of development and diplomacy; of progress and peace. They require allies who will listen to each other, learn from each other and, most of all, trust each other.

That is why America cannot turn inward. That is why Europe cannot turn inward. America has no better partner than Europe. Now is the time to build new bridges across the globe as strong as the one that bound us across the Atlantic. Now is the time to join together, through constant cooperation, strong institutions, shared sacrifice, and a global commitment to progress, to meet the challenges of the 21st century. It was this spirit that led airlift planes to appear in the sky above our heads, and people to assemble where we stand today. And this is the moment when our nations - and all nations - must summon that spirit anew.

This is the moment when we must defeat terror and dry up the well of extremism that supports it. This threat is real and we cannot shrink from our responsibility to combat it. If we could create NATO to face down the Soviet Union, we can join in a new and global partnership to dismantle the networks that have struck in Madrid and Amman; in London and Bali; in Washington and New York. If we could win a battle of ideas against the communists, we can stand with the vast majority of Muslims who reject the extremism that leads to hate instead of hope.

This is the moment when we must renew our resolve to rout the terrorists who threaten our security in Afghanistan, and the traffickers who sell drugs on your streets. No one welcomes war. I recognize the enormous difficulties in Afghanistan. But my country and yours have a stake in seeing that NATO's first mission beyond Europe's borders is a success. For the people of Afghanistan, and for our shared security, the work must be done. America cannot do this alone. The Afghan people need our troops and your troops; our support and your support to defeat the Taliban and al Qaeda, to develop their economy, and to help them rebuild their nation. We have too much at stake to turn back now.

This is the moment when we must renew the goal of a world without nuclear weapons. The two superpowers that faced each other across the wall of this city came too close too often to destroying all we have built and all that we love. With that wall gone, we need not stand idly by and watch the further spread of the deadly atom. It is time to secure all loose nuclear materials; to stop the spread of nuclear weapons; and to reduce the arsenals from another era. This is the moment to begin the work of seeking the peace of a world without nuclear weapons.

This is the moment when every nation in Europe must have the chance to choose its own tomorrow free from the shadows of yesterday. In this century, we need a strong European Union that deepens the security and prosperity of this continent, while extending a hand abroad. In this century - in this city of all cities - we must reject the Cold War mind-set of the past, and resolve to work with Russia when we can, to stand up for our values when we must, and to seek a partnership that extends across this entire continent.

This is the moment when we must build on the wealth that open markets have created, and share its benefits more equitably. Trade has been a cornerstone of our growth and global development. But we will not be able to sustain this growth if it favors the few, and not the many. Together, we must forge trade that truly rewards the work that creates wealth, with meaningful protections for our people and our planet. This is the moment for trade that is free and fair for all.

This is the moment we must help answer the call for a new dawn in the Middle East. My country must stand with yours and with Europe in sending a direct message to Iran that it must abandon its nuclear ambitions. We must support the Lebanese who have marched and bled for democracy, and the Israelis and Palestinians who seek a secure and lasting peace. And despite past differences, this is the moment when the world should support the millions of Iraqis who seek to rebuild their lives, even as we pass responsibility to the Iraqi government and finally bring this war to a close.

This is the moment when we must come together to save this planet. Let us resolve that we will not leave our children a world where the oceans rise and famine spreads and terrible storms devastate our lands. Let us resolve that all nations - including my own - will act with the same seriousness of purpose as has your nation, and reduce the carbon we send into our atmosphere. This is the moment to give our children back their future. This is the moment to stand as one.
And this is the moment when we must give hope to those left behind in a globalized world. We must remember that the Cold War born in this city was not a battle for land or treasure. Sixty years ago, the planes that flew over Berlin did not drop bombs; instead they delivered food, and coal, and candy to grateful children. And in that show of solidarity, those pilots won more than a military victory. They won hearts and minds; love and loyalty and trust - not just from the people in this city, but from all those who heard the story of what they did here.

Now the world will watch and remember what we do here - what we do with this moment. Will we extend our hand to the people in the forgotten corners of this world who yearn for lives marked by dignity and opportunity; by security and justice? Will we lift the child in Bangladesh from poverty, shelter the refugee in Chad, and banish the scourge of AIDS in our time?
Will we stand for the human rights of the dissident in Burma, the blogger in Iran, or the voter in Zimbabwe? Will we give meaning to the words "never again" in Darfur?

Will we acknowledge that there is no more powerful example than the one each of our nations projects to the world? Will we reject torture and stand for the rule of law? Will we welcome immigrants from different lands, and shun discrimination against those who don't look like us or worship like we do, and keep the promise of equality and opportunity for all of our people?
People of Berlin - people of the world - this is our moment. This is our time.

I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we've struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We've made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions.

But I also know how much I love America. I know that for more than two centuries, we have strived - at great cost and great sacrifice - to form a more perfect union; to seek, with other nations, a more hopeful world. Our allegiance has never been to any particular tribe or kingdom - indeed, every language is spoken in our country; every culture has left its imprint on ours; every point of view is expressed in our public squares. What has always united us - what has always driven our people; what drew my father to America's shores - is a set of ideals that speak to aspirations shared by all people: that we can live free from fear and free from want; that we can speak our minds and assemble with whomever we choose and worship as we please.

These are the aspirations that joined the fates of all nations in this city. These aspirations are bigger than anything that drives us apart. It is because of these aspirations that the airlift began. It is because of these aspirations that all free people - everywhere - became citizens of Berlin. It is in pursuit of these aspirations that a new generation - our generation - must make our mark on the world.

People of Berlin - and people of the world - the scale of our challenge is great. The road ahead will be long. But I come before you to say that we are heirs to a struggle for freedom. We are a people of improbable hope. With an eye toward the future, with resolve in our hearts, let us remember this history, and answer our destiny, and remake the world once again.

---

Barack Obama made me proud to be an American today. How long as it been since we've seen citizens in foreign countries waving American flags when an American poltician was in their homeland?

John McCain is a noble man, however, he is going to lose this election by a landslide when it is all said and done.

What did you think about the speech? or the Obama world tour?

John McCain Continues to Remind Me of Ronald Reagan

Do you remember how Ronald Reagan truly began to lose it in the final years of his presidency? Tragically, it turned out that President Reagan was in early stages of Alzheimer's Disease. I think about Ronald Reagan every time that I think about John McCain becoming our president.

So, when John McCain continues to make foreign policy errors ... it concerns me.

Did you see him on ABC's Good Morning America, when he made ANOTHER geography gaffe while trying to criticize Obama's visit to Iraq. (Just last week, McCain repeatedly referred to Czechoslovakia, a country that hasn't existed since 1993.)

Asked by Diane Sawyer whether the "the situation in Afghanistan in precarious and urgent," McCain responded: "I think it's serious. . . . It's a serious situation, but there's a lot of things we need to do. We have a lot of work to do and I'm afraid it's a very hard struggle, particularly given the situation on the Iraq/Pakistan border."

But as ABC's Rick Klein noted: "Iraq and Pakistan do not share a border. Afghanistan and Pakistan do."





I will admit that I didn't know that Iraq and Pakistan didn't share a border. However, I'm not running for POTUS on the premise that I'm the best candidate when it comes to foriegn affairs! What say u?

Justice For Darfur, Sudan President Bashir Accused of Genocide

There is so much going on in the world today. It is difficult to keep up. Did you see that the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) accused Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes and requested his indictment. I was glad to see someone being held accountable for the atrocities taking place in Darfur.

The prosecutor's request for an indictment sent shockwaves throughout the world. The Sudanese government stated that the ICC prosecutor's request for indictment on genocide charges was a "declaration of war". The UN responded by pulling non-essential staff from the joint UN-African Union peacekeeping mission.

The ICC's prosecutor's request for the indictment of Bashir is a major development in the international process seeking accountability for the horrific crimes in Darfur. Of course, the process is more difficult for the ICC because Bashir doesn't recognize their authority ... a position that is in harmony with George Bush.

Is it too much to hope that Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. representative to the United Nations, would lead UN Security Council efforts to enforce the arrest warrants issued by the ICC for Sudanese government minister, Ahmad Harun, and Janjawid militia leader, Ali Kushayb? Both men were charged with war crimes similar to those brought against Bashir and continue to remain at large.

This past April, Amnesty International ramped up efforts to achieve accountability by co-founding the global “Justice for Darfur” coalition. The coalition has sent tens of thousands of messages to world leaders, asking them to pressure Sudan to hand over suspected war criminals to the ICC for prosecution.

We need these world leaders, including Secretary Condie Rice, to get more peacekeepers on the ground in Darfur to protect the citizens from a government accused of systematic genecide.

What say u?

A Simple Request to the G8

2008 is a landmark year in the fight against poverty and disease. The world is halfway to 2015 when the Millennium Goals must be achieved, but Africa is perilously off track. 2008 is also the halfway point between 2005 and 2010 when many promises made by the 'Group of 8' (G8) to Africa must be met such as the commitment to provide an additional $25 billion in effective aid for Africa. The G8 are dangerously behind on these landmark commitments.

In 2008, G8 leaders have the opportunity -- and responsibility -- to put weight behind their words.

I hope that all 'villagers' will sign the online petition that calls upon the G8 to build on recent success in fighting extreme poverty. We want the G8 to deliver their commitments on healthcare, agriculture and education and by helping citizens in developing countries in their efforts to improve governance and fight corruption.

What say u about signing this online petition?

Why Won't Robert Mugabe Get Out of the Race?

Many of us think that John McCain is simply too old to be President. Yet there is a guy much older than McCain who won't get out of the race for president in Zimbabwe. At 84, he's destroyed his country and his legacy. Why won't Mugabe get out of the race?

Charlayne Hunter-Gault wrote an excellent article on this topic over on The Root:

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Zimbabwe will hold a run-off election on June 27. Presidential contender Morgan Tsvangirai, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader, insists that he and his party have already won. But Robert Mugabe, the wily leader of the ruling ZANU-PF party refused to accept the results and in time—an unprecedented long time—the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission agreed that neither presidential candidate had gotten the necessary majority to declare himself the winner. But throughout the contested campaign and prolonged announcement of the results, one question keeps coming up:

What makes Mugabe run?

Robert Gabriel Mugabe is older than John McCain. Eighty four, to be exact. His country, as well as his struggle legacy is in tatters and the era of the Big Man all across Africa is drawing to a close as new rules of the African road call for an end to the era of president for life, and a growing number of African leaders are answering the call.

Click here for the rest of the story

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We don't discuss very much about Africa here in America. I am reminded of my need to rejuvenate my Alkebulan Journey blog-post series. In the meantime, I would be interested in your thoughts about what is taking place in Zimbabwe. What say u?

Where is Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine?

Drumbeats from Sokari urge all villagers to take a moment to sign the online petition calling for the safe return of Haitian human rights activist Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine.

Lovinsky was the co-founder of Fondsayon Kore Timoun Yo (Foundation for the Support of Children) for young street children in Port au Prince, FAM (Foyer pour Adolescentes Mères), a center for teenage mothers, and Map Viv ("I Live"), a program designed to give medical and psychological aid to the victims of the 1991 coup. His present community-based human rights organization Fondayson Trant Septnm grew out of the work of those earlier efforts. He is part of the Lavalas movement and a member of the Lavalas Party, and was a potential candidate for the Haitian Senate.

Lovinsky lived in Washington DC during the turmoil and violence that followed the removal of President Aristide in 2004. During that time he continued his work as an advocate for Haiti's poverty-stricken majority, including gathering support of a wide network of organizations and individuals in the US, meeting with members of Congress, speaking at human rights forums in Boston, Los Angeles and elsewhere in the US as well as in Brazil, Canada and Venezuela. A month after he returned to Haiti, Lovinsky was instrumental in bringing together a delegation that included journalists and others who hail from Guyana, Barbados and the United States to attend the May 2006 Inauguration of President Rene Preval."

Keep your thoughts and prayers with Lovinsky and his family during these troubling and confusing times in Haiti.

World Politics 101: Who Is Russian President?

Hillary Clinton touts her experience. Halfway around the world Russia is holding a presidential election on Sunday. Clinton was asked about Russia's presidential elections to pick a successor to Vladimir Putin. The debate moderator wanted to know what Clinton could tell the world about this new president. In her response Clinton worked in how he'd been hand-picked by Putin, how Russia's political opposition has been suppressed and how she'd been critical of the Bush administration on a wide variety of issues regarding Russia.

Then, the moderator asked: "Who will it be? Do you know his name?"

Villagers, quite honestly, I don't have a clue who the favorite is to win the Russian presidency this coming weekend. But then I'm not running for president telling the world that I'll be ready on Day One. Clinton had the spotlight. And she blew it. She said, "Meh, uhm, Me-ned-vadah -- whatever."

The moderator then turned to Obama, "Do you know anything about him?"

Obama looked genuinely pleased not to have gotten the Russian name question. He smoothly answered, "Well, I think Senator Clinton speaks accurately about him..." and continued to also criticize the Bush administration."

Game... Set... Match! Clinton is no more ready for Day One than any other human being can be for the most difficult job in the world. For those Villagers who are keeping track --> the heavy favorite Putin-puppet being elected on Sunday as the new president of Russia is Dmitry Medvedev.

What observations did you have from the debate in Ohio between Obama and Clinton?

Wordless Wednesday: Burma

President Bush told the United Nations that most of us here in America were concerned about the conflict between the people and the government of Burma. Of course, none of the folks that I know were talking about Burma at all. We focused on Jena Six, Genarlow Wilson, Megan Williams and such. However, thousands took to the street today in Myanmar (Burma) . Bush may have been right for first time in his presidency...